Undisturbed (2 Chron. 14-15)

Christians sometimes get the idea that they should remain undisturbed. (What I really mean is that I sometimes get the selfish idea that I should be left undisturbed.) But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Because I need rest sometimes from the hectic pace of life, I like being undisturbed, but it shouldn’t become the focus of my life, and I should never feel like I deserve it or have earned it in any way.

I thought of this because summer is almost over. I’m not saying teachers live for summer (although some probably do and I too fall guilty at times), but it is a much-needed mental and physical break. Teaching children of any age is difficult—‘nough said! So, anyway, my summer has been very restful; at the same time, it has been productive and has rejuvenated me, but I can’t live in perpetual summer as much as I sometimes think I would like to do so.

As I reread one of my favorite sections of 2 Chronicles yesterday, I came across this word: undisturbed. King Asa, the great-grandson of King Solomon (the wisest man to ever live), inherited the kingdom from his own father Abijah (a man allowed to sit on the throne in honor of David’s heart for God and God’s promise to him . . . a good king for three years, but one who became double-minded in his worship, allowing/initiating abominations of all sorts into the kingdom of Judah). When Asa became king, “the land was undisturbed for ten years during his days” (14:1, NASB). The reason for this: “Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the LORD his God” (14:2).  He worked to restore the kingdom back to God by tearing down altars and pillars and by cutting down the Asherim and commanding Judah to seek God. He continued by removing “the high places and the incense altars from all the cities in Judah,” and as a result, “the kingdom was undisturbed under him” (14:4-5). 

Interestingly enough, the undisturbed status of his kingdom was a lot of work. It was peaceful work, but it was work nonetheless, and because “the land was undisturbed” (14:6), he built well-fortified cities with “walls and towers gates and bars” (14:7).  King Asa used the time away from fighting the enemies of the kingdom to turn his people’s hearts toward God and to prepare his kingdom for the next invasion, whenever that might be.

Now, get this. He did what was right. He served God well. He prepared the people, prepared the cities, did the hard stuff. He should’ve gotten more rest, right? Not! Here is where the expectation mentality (and resulting anger) would shift in if this were our culture today. A huge army gathered against him—a million men with chariots against his 580,000 men with shields and bows. So what does King Asa do? He goes out to meet his enemy in battle formation trusting that when he called out to God, God would answer him in a mighty way.

He understood two key concepts that his recorded prayer brings to light—relationship and trust: “O LORD, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee” (14:11) after he had already prayed saying he had no help but God, in whom they had placed their trust. He wasn’t left undisturbed when he was “doing the right thing.” He didn’t call out suddenly (and only) to God when attacked; instead he had a relationship with God and a trust in Him that was undeniable. The result? God himself “routed the Egyptians before King Asa and before Judah” (14:12) to the point that they were “shattered before the LORD, and before His army” (14:13) destroying many Egyptian cities because the “dread of the LORD had fallen on them” (14:14). And did I mention all the spoil the kingdom of Judah carried home to Jerusalem?

While there is so much more to King Asa’s story (like 15:2—“if you seek Him, He will let you find Him: but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you”), well . . . that’s another story for another time, but I found some takeaways for me as my summer draws to a close. I can’t expect to rest undisturbed just because I’m “doing the right thing.” My year at school may not be entirely peaceful (but then again it might), but I shouldn’t have that as my end goal. Like King Asa, I should be about my business working for the Lord, building my relationship with Him and trusting Him to handle anything He allows to come my way.